Tennis-racket.



- W. H. JOHNSONI TENNJS BAOKET. Pi-LIOATfOH rmm ran. 2, 1914.

1,100,244. Patented June 16, 1914 WITNESSES:

IN V EN TOR.

55m (mum Y A TTORNE Y.

WILLIAM H. JOHNS ON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

' mums-Backer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914..

Application med February 2, 1914. Serial No. 816,082.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. JOHN- SON, residing in the city ofSpringfield, county of Hampden, and State of -Massa-- chusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tennis-Rackets, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tennis rackets and moreparticularly to reinforcing means in rackets wherein a single strip isbent to form an oval frame and the ends thereof extended to form ahandle.

An object of this invention is to provide a means for bracing the frameforming strips together and to the wedge shaped filling block usuallyprovided at. the crotch of the frame.

A second and particularly important object is to so apply this bracingmeans that the joints (which are usually glued) are not visible on' theface of the racket and consequently are not exposed to the weather. Itis a wellknown fact that a glued joint, after short exposure to theaction of the elements, soon weakens. In tennis racket construction theweakening of the glued joint of thebracing strip is vital to the life ofthe racket for when this joint loosens the bent frame soon splits andbreaks.

Briefly my invention consistsin setting and fastening a bent strip intorecessed or grooved portions of the bent frame and the wedge shapedfilling block respectively, in

such a manner that the strip is flush with the edges of the frame andwedge members.

Thus the joints are on the interior edge of the frame where they are notordinarily exposed to the action of the weather. A further advantage ofsuch a construction lies 1n the provision of a greater surface foradover, as this strip is not set into a recess or groove the surface foradhesive connection to the frame and wedge is less than'with my havebeen provided with a small thin strip inserted in the wedge shaped blockwhich extends into and connects to some extent The bracing eficct exwiththe bent frame. erted between the frame and the wedge by sucha strip isquestionable. My invention provides an inserted strip which extends notonly through the wedge-shaped block but also fora considerable distancealong the bent portion of the frame members thereby exerting a positiveand efiicient bracing action.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification,Figure l is a partial plan view of a tennis racket embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a' sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1,and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the bracing strip.

Referring to the drawing, the' strip a is bent in the form ofan ovalframe, which is provided with the usual lacings g. The

lower ends of the strips a extend downwardly and are joined together toform a handle. The portions of strips a adjacent the crotch of the frameare separated by a substantially wedge-shaped filling block b ofthe-usual construction. In my invention I provide in the upper face ofthe wedge b and in the inner faces of the strip a, adjacent the crotch arecess or groove rectangular in cross section having the surfaces d, e,and. f as clearly shown in Fig. 2. This recess or groove is deepest inthe center of the wedge b and gradually tapers to ashallow recess as itnears its end in the frame forming'strips a. A strip a bent as shown inFig. 3, is set into this recess and is glued to the wedge b and framemember a on the surfaces (1, e, and f. The portion of greatest thicknessof strip a is at its center portion from which it gradually tapers toconform to the depth of the recess in the block and frame, as shown inthe assembled view in Fig. 2.

It is to be noted particularly thatas the stri a is narrower than thestri a and is set mtothe strip a and wedge the only visible joints arethose of the faces (Z and e; As-these. joints-are not on the face of theracket but on the interior edges of the frame,

they are protected from the weather which causes the glue todisintegrate and the strip that this set-in bracing strip b is onlyexbe, in ameasure, relieved of so muc strain ing provided with a recessor groove therein,

' and that the strip is inclosed on three of to loosen. Furthermore, thestrip is adhesively connected on three faces instead of one as is theusual construction. Consequently this strip 0 is joined to members a andb in a positive and substantial manner. Obviously a strip 0 so appliedand secured in place increases the strength and lifeof the racket overthe ordinary construction referred to above. x

It will be seen from this construction that I have produced a tennisracket that embodies great strength by reason'of the fact that theset-in tapering strip extends a considerable distance in oppositedirections from the block, up onto the inner side of the frame. Itshould also be borne in mind posed to the elements at two glue joints,

'itssides. It will also be seen that, by inserting the pin it throughthe wedge-shaped further that the inserted brace-stri 0 will thereon aswill be readily understood. What I claim is: I 1. In a tennis racket,the'combination with a frame, of a wedge in the crotch of said frame,said frame and said-wedge beanda substantially semi-circular shapedstrengthening strip located in said recess, said strip connecting'andbracing the frame to the wedge as described. a

' 2. In a tennis racket, .the combinationwith aframe, of a wedge-shapedfilling blockin the crotch of said frame and formed with a groovetherein,a strip set into the scribed.

ing at the ends thereof, and extending a considerable distance inopposite directions from the wedge up the-inner sides of the frame.

4. In a tennis racket, the combination of a frame, a block, each beingformed with a registering groove therein and a strengtheningstriplocated in said grooves extending in opposite directions from thegrooved block up the opposite inner sides of the frame, as described.

' 5. A tennis racket, comprising in combination with the frame thereofformed with grooves in its inner surface, a grooved filling block, thesaid grooves bein tapered in opposite directions from the filling block,together with a bent insert piece secured to and located in the groovesand flush with the top surface. of the block and the inner surfaces ofthe frame, said insert piece extending a considerable distance inopposite directions from the block up the inner surface of the frame forthe purpose of strengthening the frame at its point of attachment to thehandle, substantially as de- WILLIAM H. JOHNSON. Witnesses: v

. HARRY W, Bowen,

' HARTWELL.

